CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL HOUSTON

Swinton closes Cinema fest with Red Shoes

By David Theis

November 16th, 2009 at 8:24 AM

The Cinema Arts Festival ended on a satisfactory note Sunday night when Tilda Swinton introduced the brilliantly restored print of the ballet classic The Red Shoes at Discovery Green (where my wife, Susanne Theis, is director of programming). The crowd was smallish, probably because of the light rain that had fallen much of the afternoon, but Swinton seemed truly delighted to be addressing them. She talked about how much she’d enjoyed her stay, and about Houston’s evident passion for the arts, and then sat down on the hill with everyone else to enjoy the film.

The visual riches of The Red Shoes might profit from a more controlled setting than Discovery Green’s inflatable outdoor screen can offer. But there was something quite wonderful about watching the film outdoors, with downtown as a backdrop, even as the screen bulged and contracted in the cool breeze.

Swinton evidently agreed, as she promised she’d get back to Houston soon.

On Saturday night, the Oscar-winning actress charmed guests at Lynn Wyatt's River Oaks home after the screening of her film, Lo Sono Amore, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Swinton said she had never seen an Academy Awards ceremony until she attended last year.

"I felt like someone had given me two tickets to Centre Court at Wimbledon — and a tennis racquet – and told me to get up and play," she said.

She won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton.